


The Harvest

by MiladyDragon



Series: Dragon-Verse Series One [7]
Category: Torchwood
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Angst, Cannibalism, Dragon-Verse, F/M, Horror, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-06-12
Updated: 2012-06-12
Packaged: 2017-11-07 14:01:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 18,575
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/431950
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MiladyDragon/pseuds/MiladyDragon
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The team goes out to the Brecon Beacons, to investigate a series of mysterious disappearances.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Harvest

_**30 October 2007** _

 

_**  
**_

Jack was getting a bit tired of Owen's bitching.

Maybe he should have listened to Ianto when the dragon had offered to pack the earplugs.

"I hate the countryside," the medic was currently whining, from where he was sandwiched between the ladies in the back seat. "It's dirty, it's unhygienic. And what is that smell?"

Out of the corner of his eye, Jack saw Ianto roll down his window just a little bit more. Obviously in an attempt to piss Owen off, and not for any air; although the dragon didn't mind the chill as much as the rest of the team did.

"That would be grass," Gwen answered, barely controlling her irritated sigh.

"It's disgusting!"

Jack wondered if this was what like parenthood was like; the only thing missing was someone asking if they were there yet. He gripped the wheel a little tighter, knowing this was going to be an even more interesting mission once Owen found out that there would be actual camping with tents involved.

He tried to tune the medic out as his thoughts turned to last night. He glanced at his Second surreptitiously, considering their conversation. The moment he'd told Ianto that he would come back to him after getting his answers, Jack knew that would be exactly what he'd do. That realization was followed quickly by the one that said that Ianto apparently didn't quite believe him. Well, could he blame the dragon for that? Jack had lost the trust that they'd shared by his own actions. How could Ianto actually believe him when he'd claimed to want to come back for him?

That just meant that Jack had to prove himself. He was surprised by the strength of his determination to do just that.

"I just realized," Tosh's voice cut through Owen's bitching and Jack's thoughts. "We're going to miss the anniversary."

"What anniversary?" Gwen asked confusedly.

"The anniversary of Jack and Ianto taking over Torchwood Three," the technician explained. "Seven years tomorrow…right, you two?"

Jack grinned. "Yeah, that's right. We'll have to plan the annual pub crawl for when we get back. Maybe this year we can find a place that has karaoke."

That comment made Owen laugh, the first time that day. "Oh yeah…Dragon Boy can belt 'em out. What was that…two years ago?"

Tosh chuckled. "I'll never listen to 'Wind Beneath My Wings' in quite the same way again."

"If we're done teasing the dragon," Ianto said primly, "perhaps we should address Owen's trying to pull that bartender, and she turning him down flat by dumping a beer all over him?"

Tosh was sent into a fit of giggles. "And the cab driver refused to let him ride in his cab, because he smelt so bad!"

"And he tried to convince Ianto to let me take him home in the SUV," Jack added, his own laughter getting the best of him.

"No way was I letting him into the SUV smelling like a brewery," the dragon snorted, his own laughter barely containable.

"Yeah, laugh it up the lot of you," Owen demanded, sounding put out, but there was a trace of humor in it. "Maybe I should point out Harkness' being propositioned by that Scottish bird who thought he looked just like her dad?"

Jack almost had to pull the car over, he was laughing so hard. He'd taken quite a hit to his ego, over that woman with the daddy issues. "I was perfectly fine, until she started up with that! Sorry, I might enjoy a good shag every once in a while, and I might have a few kinks, but being asked if she could call me 'daddy' in the middle of the actual act was just a bit too much."

He suddenly realized what that sounded like, and took yet another quick glance at the dragon. Ianto was staring out the window, and Jack couldn't really make out his face. For some reason he had the sudden notion to apologize, but he didn't. Not in front of the others.

The atmosphere in the vehicle lifted a little as four members of the team recalled their various run-ins with previous anniversary celebrations, including some amusing stories about Suzie. Jack glanced up into the rearview mirror; he could just make out Gwen, and while she was laughing, he could tell that she was feeling left out. Well, hopefully this mission would solidify the team a bit, and when they got back they could all go out and celebrate.

 

* * *

 

As predicted, Owen about went apoplectic when the word "camping" was uttered.

Jack barely kept his 'captain' face on, he wanted to laugh that badly.

They'd found a place to park for the night, and together Jack, Ianto, and a very grudging Owen began to unload the back of the SUV. "What's the matter with a hotel?"

"People are going missing around here," Jack answered, scoffing. "Do you really wanna stay in a place run by strangers?"

The ladies already had one of the tents set up, and were working on the second one. They worked together well. Jack was impressed.

Owen dumped his load down in the empty spot next to the closest tent. "Yeah, cause sleeping outside is so much safer."

"Look at the bright side," Jack said, "we have a big, bad dragon to look out for us."

Ianto rolled his eyes. "Just don't expect me to eat anyone. I hate getting fabric caught between my teeth."

The captain laughed. "We could always find you some dragon-sized toothpicks to use."

The look the dragon gave him was very obviously, ' _Don't you even think it_.'

"Besides," Tosh piped up, wiping her hands on her trousers as she stood from where she'd been pounding in a tent stake, "you know Ianto only eats maidens."

"There was a time when it was all wall-to-wall maidens," Ianto sighed over-dramatically. "Nowadays, Owen gets to them before I can even smell them."

The medic grinned. "Someone has to save them from the slavering beast, and while it's a dirty job I shall gladly do my duty to save the womenfolk of Wales."

"But I bet Ianto got his fair share, back during that time he was being worshiped by the ignorant locals," Jack teased.

"What are you talking about?" Ianto asked. "You all still worship me now, only it's for my coffee and not the fact that I could destroy your homes with a single breath."

"You also look great in a suit," Jack flirted, "although those jeans are practically sinful…" He suddenly realized what he's said, and remembered his last attempt to flirt with the dragon, and practically held his breath to see if he'd accept the come-on in the manner it was intended.

Ianto simply rolled his eyes. "Do I really need to dig out the harassment guidelines?"

Jack grinned, glad that they seemed to be back on flirting terms. 'I have a copy in my desk, just to see if I'm doing it right."

"I can assure you that you are." The dragon looked highly amused.

"This isn't getting camp set up any faster," Gwen cut in to the banter. As one, they turned to face her; she stood next to the half-finished tent, her hands on her hips and looking irritated. She pointedly glared at Ianto, as if blaming him for their topic of conversation.

Ianto just shook his head. "Gwen does have a point," he commented, his voice still tinged with laughter. "Why don't you get that last tent set up, and I'll finish unloading the SUV?"

"I'll give you a have," Jack volunteered.

 

* * *

 

"So," Gwen said, "who was the last person you snogged?"

Owen looked up from the pile of firewood he'd just dumped next to the impromptu fire pit Ianto had set up. "You sound like an eight-year-old. Who the hell even says 'snog', anyway?"

Jack leaned back against the open door of the SUV, the map he'd been perusing held in his left hand, forgotten as he watched his team interact once more. Tosh had taken one of the camp chairs next to Gwen, and she looked a bit uncomfortable at the question. Ianto simply rolled his eyes, working over the small fire, preparing a pot of coffee without benefit of anything to protect his skin from the heat. It still made Jack want to rush forward and check his hands for damage, even after all the time that had passed.

"It's just a bit of fun," Gwen retorted. "Mine was Rhys."

"Yeah well, there's a surprise," Owen snarked, taking one of the other chairs.

Gwen ignored him, turning to Toshiko. "Your go, Tosh."

Jack looked at his technician, who was blushing furiously. "It's easy for you," she murmured.

Ianto turned to look at her, and Jack thought he was going to call an end to it. The dragon was fiercely protective of Toshiko; they were best friends, and there was a part of Jack that was just a little bit jealous of that. But then, the captain only had himself to blame for what had happened between Ianto and himself.

"Come on," Gwen urged. "Spill the beans."

"It was Owen," she blurted, going even redder than before.

Well, Jack hadn't expected that, although Ianto didn't look all that shocked.

"Really?" Gwen asked, surprised.

"When was this?" Owen inquired, almost over the top of Gwen's question.

"Three AM," Tosh answered, "Christmas Eve, in front of the Millennium Center. We were waiting for a cab; I had mistletoe."

Jack saw when Owen recalled the event. "That was almost a year ago. You haven't been kissed since?"

"No," she answered, not looking at the medic.

A small, completely non-sarcastic, smile curled Owen's lips. "Well, lucky me then."

Toshiko must have caught the tone, because she looked at him. "And you, Owen?" She sounded almost challenging.

One corner of Owen's mouth curled upward in an almost evil grin. He stared straight at Gwen…who suddenly went pale.

Jack's stomach felt almost queasy as his instant suspicion came horribly true.

"Gwen," the medic answered.

The entire camp went quiet.

Finally, Toshiko spoke. "So…when was this?"

"Last night," he said. "After I walked you both out to your cars. I pinned her up against her car and - "

"Owen," Gwen snapped.

Jack couldn't believe how disappointed he was in both of them, but moreso Gwen. He'd told her not to let her relationship with Rhys drift, and yet she was kissing a co-worker in their own garage. That didn't even include the obvious flirting she did with him, which he'd never once given her reason to think would be anything more.

Owen simply smirked, turning to look at Jack. "Jack?"

What had once been a silly game had turned unbelievably ugly. The atmosphere hung heavy over the team, and he wanted nothing more than to lift it once more. "Are we including non-human lifeforms?"

He immediately knew he'd made a mistake when at least two sets of eyes turned to look straight at Ianto.

The dragon appeared to be shocked by the scrutiny. "Why are you staring at me for?" he asked. "Dragons don't 'snog', as you so quaintly put it."

Jack was pretty certain that he'd been that person that Ianto had kissed, and it felt like someone had punched him in the chest at the denial…although, he really couldn't say anything, since he'd tried to deflect the question in the first place.

"Oh come on," Owen scoffed.

"No, we don't," Ianto reiterated. "It's really hard to kiss anyone when you have a snout and rather large, razor-sharp teeth. I'll leave you ephemerals that sort of pleasure." He pointedly looked at Gwen, then Owen.

Gwen must not have enjoyed the attention, because she jumped to her feet. "I'm getting more firewood," she said, turning and leaving camp.

Owen got up to follow her.

_Big surprise_ , Jack thought.

Then he turned to look at Ianto, who was staring back. Something of how he was feeling must have been showing in his face, because the dragon suddenly looked apologetic. He put the coffee pot back into the fire, then joined Jack at the SUV. "Jack, I – "

"I haven't had a chance to ask you yet," Jack interrupted, "but have your senses picked up any sort of Rift activity in the area?" He didn't want to hear the apology, because that would mean he'd have to make one over his own comment, and quite honestly that wasn't really something he wanted to get into while in the middle of the countryside.

Ianto accepted the change of subject, but there was something in his eyes that told Jack he was going to try again some other time. "No, nothing," he answered. "Whatever's out here, I'm pretty certain it's not due to the Rift, unless something was dumped and it migrated out from Cardiff."

"That could be a possibility," Jack mused. "Maybe Weevils?"

Ianto shrugged. "Anything is possible, Jack. We just don't have enough evidence yet…well, except that Owen is going to try his hardest to seduce Gwen." The disgust in his voice was obvious.

Jack glanced toward the fire; Toshiko was still there, feeding some more wood into the pit. "I feel bad for Tosh." He was well aware of his technician's feelings toward their medic, and while he couldn't understand them, he accepted them as part of Toshiko Sato.

"As do I. But she knows how he is, and while she doesn't like it, she knows there isn't anything she can do about it."

Jack still didn't like it, but there really wasn't anything they could do. He decided another change of subject was in order, and he wanted to make sure that Ianto knew that they would be talking again. "Listen, Ianto – "

"Jack!"

What was it about Gwen Cooper's timing…?

They both turned as Gwen barreled into camp. She bent over, her hands on her knees, breathing hard. The two moved to join her, Jack putting a hand on her back to steady her. "What happened? Where's Owen?"

The woman regained her breath, and what she told them was enough to make Jack's blood run cold.

 

* * *

 

_**30 October 2007** _

 

 

The corpse was disgusting.

Ianto had seen its like before, but only with game animals. This was obviously human though, and it was just wrong that it looked as if someone or something had cleaned and dressed the body, as if in preparation for storage. It was just drawing insects, which meant it hadn't been there long.

He turned away. He may have been a carnivore himself, but that didn't mean he enjoyed looking at dead bodies.

His mind wandered back to camp, before they'd all found themselves called away by an upset Gwen. After that silly snogging game – and Ianto didn't really like that word, to be honest – he'd seen it, as Jack had pretended to lean casually against the SUV, that he'd somehow hurt the immortal. It had surprised him, and the dragon had wanted to apologize for it, but Jack had cut him off. The thing was, Jack had been the one to try to dance around the subject; he apparently hadn't counted on two of his team assuming that Ianto himself was the "non-human lifeform" that Jack had asked about.

And Ianto had been truthful: dragons didn't kiss. His kind had never developed that expression of affection, so he hadn't lied about that. But, they hadn't asked about what he did in human form…and the last person he'd kissed like that had been Jack, although that had been almost as long ago since Toshiko had shared a kiss with Owen. He was surprised that Jack had remembered it, let alone that he hadn't expected Ianto to have kissed anyone else.

And then, Gwen had run in and interrupted them, just ask the dragon had thought Jack was going to say something fairly important.

Owen's voice pulled him back to the investigation, and Ianto cursed himself for not concentrating.

"Male," Owen said, from his position kneeling next to the body, "late 40's, early 50's. Wasn't killed here, there's no sign of blood spatter or signs of a struggle. I'd say he was brought here after he'd died."

"Why do that?" Gwen asked. "It's not like whoever it was, was trying to bury him here."

Ianto had to admit it was a good question. And, if it was some sort of hunter, then why leave his kill behind? Why go to all the trouble to prepare the carcass, only to drop it at the first sign of trouble? It didn't make any sense.

"Maybe you disturbed them," Toshiko suggested.

"Maybe it's a warning," Ianto added.

"What? Marking their territory?" Jack asked, squatting next to Owen. "There are some alien species that do that sort of thing, so it's possible. " He turned to the medic. "Cause of death?"

"Impossible to say," he answered, using a small probe to poke at various parts of the corpse. "The body's been stripped of its flesh and bodily organs. All that's left is this carcass."

"Could it be Weevils?" Gwen asked.

"Nope," Jack answered. "Weevils don't come out this far." He stood. "No, more like another alien race entirely."

"Hunting," the dragon murmured.

Jack looked at him sharply. "I'd have to agree with that – "

A sudden noise interrupted the captain's response; to Ianto, it sounded exactly like – "The SUV," he snapped, turning and starting to run back toward camp.

He could hear Jack racing beside him, as Ianto barreled through the trees. He caught sight of the camp quickly, and he cursed under his breath as he saw the SUV crash into the tents, knocking them to the ground, and then backing up and proceeding to demolish the rest of their supplies. It avoided the fire pit, for which Ianto was grateful; he didn't want to have to deal with the damage rolling over the stones he'd used to build it would cause.

Whoever was driving the SUV cleared the campsite, and headed toward the road.

Jack let loose an incoherent shout of pure rage, and Ianto couldn't blame him. None of them would catch the vehicle on foot…

He put on a burst of speed, reaching into himself and triggering the transformation from human to dragon.

Ianto felt the power swirling around him, and as soon as his wings were out he was launching himself into the air, hoping to be able to stop whoever it was who was stealing their SUV. Three powerful wing strokes and he was slicing through the air, slowing gaining on their transport.

He knew, once it reached the open road, the dragon wouldn't be able to catch up, and so it had to be while it was still maneuvering over uneven ground and couldn't gain its full speed. He flattened his body as much as he could, knowing that being so close to the ground while trying to fly would make it more difficult to gain speed, and so wanted to decrease drag as much as he could.

The dragon wasn't about to let the thief – or thieves – get away.

Within three more wing beats he had caught up, and thoughts of how he was going to actually get them to stop imposed themselves. There were two things he could actually do, and while outracing the vehicle, then landing in front of it, would be the simplest the dragon didn't relish getting hit by a reinforced SUV going as fast as it could over bad terrain. And so, he did the only thing he could.

He dropped down onto the roof of the vehicle.

His rear claws scrabbled for purchase on the roof, while his front claws missed entirely and came down onto the SUV's bonnet, rocking the entire suspension.

The SUV's design had been a joint effort, between Jack, Suzie, and Toshiko, back right after the technician had come to work for Torchwood. Jack had decided they'd needed a better vehicle than the panel van they'd been using, and so the three had sat down to discuss just what they'd require. Ianto had bowed out, not knowing much about ephemeral vehicles besides how to drive them, but he'd been the one to suggest the heavy-duty suspension. Jack had added the idea of reinforced roll bars and body panels, and later on the captain had said it was because some day it might have to serve as a dragon perch. Although it had been in a joking manner, little had Jack known he'd be speaking the truth.

The dragon knew he could have the scratches in the paint repaired, but there was no way he was going to let anyone steal their vehicle.

However, he failed to take into account Newton's First Law of Motion:

_An object in motion tends to remain in motion, unless acted upon by an external force._

He remembered it suddenly as whoever was driving the SUV slammed on the brakes.

The dragon tried to keep his grip, but ended tumbling tail over snout over the bonnet of the SUV. He landed painfully on his back, the wind pushed out of his lungs with such force a small bout of flame escaped from his snout as he forcibly exhaled. His head smacked into the vehicle's grill, and while the dragon had an extremely hard skull, he still saw a few stars.

He tried to move, but a sudden sharp pain along one wing had him on his back once more. A stray thought told him that whoever was in the driver's seat could very well try to roll the SUV over him to get out of the way, but the sound of footsteps running away put paid to that notion. The dragon wanted to get up and go after them, but all he could do was turn just enough to make out who was leaving the scene.

The dragon blinked. That couldn't be right…

More footsteps came from the direction he'd come from, and he realized it must be the team. He heard someone yell his name; it was Jack, and the immortal came skidding around the bonnet of the SUV, his eyes wide in surprise.

"That way," the dragon managed to get out, around his attempts to get his breathing back under control. He pointed toward the direction of the fleeing thief.

Jack nodded, and took off in the direction indicated, followed by Gwen. Both had guns out, and another vague thought passed through telling him that he really needed to go over basic gun safety with the woman when they got back, because with the way she was holding the weapon, if she tripped Jack was liable to get a bullet in the back…

Owen and Toshiko appeared in his line of sight. "Why aren't you up yet, Dragon Boy?" the medic said, trying to sound sarcastic but ended up more concerned than anything else.

"Just…catching my breath," the dragon answered, finally able to draw enough oxygen into his lungs.

"Yeah, well, that was an impressive tumble you took. Keep down and let me check you out."

"I'm fine," the dragon argued. "Nothing much can hurt me, remember?"

"Then why aren't you off chasing the fucker who stole the SUV?"

"Like I said, just had the wind knocked out of me. I'm just fine. How did they manage to get ahold of it, anyway?" The dragon made to roll over onto his front…

And hissed in pain as he tried to move his right wing.

He craned his head around, and grimaced as he saw the tear in the skin along the third major vane, blood gathering around the wound. While as a dragon he was, indeed, very hard to injure, his wings were the most delicate part of his body, and were more prone to damage.

Owen must have noticed at the same time, judging by the "Shit!" that escaped him. Toshiko gasped, resting her hand on the dragon's shoulder.

"Well," the dragon said, "that's unexpected."

"Stay still," Owen snapped. "Tosh, get me my kit out of the back." The technician hastened to obey. "Okay, I'm gonna need to stitch that up. You know how you did it?"

The dragon sighed. "Only thing I remember is flying over the bonnet. Then, of course, being flat on my back."

The medic circled the dragon's prone body, to get better access to the torn wing. "So much for nothing hurting you." He sounded almost pleased by the circumstances. He crouched by the area of damage. "I'll get the bleeding stopped, then we can take care of the stitches. This gonna to affect you shape-changing?"

The dragon considered. "Shouldn't think so." One of the first things Toshiko had wanted to do when she'd found out that he was a dragon, was to test to see where all the extra mass – including wings – went when Ianto was in human form. All of her instruments had shown was the power in the change itself, and nothing about what exactly happened when he changed. It was still a mystery. And, as he'd never changed while a wing had been damaged, he could only assume he would be fine.

"Here, Owen." Toshiko passed the medical kit to the kneeling medic, who accepted it with a murmured thanks.

"I'm gonna have to numb this up," Owen said.

"I don't think you'll get a needle through the skin," the dragon answered.

Footsteps drew all their attention back toward the direction the thief had taken; it was Jack, followed closely by Gwen, coming back from their chase. "Got away from us," Jack panted, leaning against the bonnet close to the dragon's head. "And why aren't you up yet, Ianto?"

"Dragon Boy hurt himself with that stunt," Owen answered acerbically.

"I see that." Jack rested his hand on the side of the dragon's snout, stroking lightly. "So much for being indestructible."

The dragon sighed, enjoying the gentle touch. He would never get tired of the way Jack touched him, in either dragon or human form. "Next time I'll let someone else fly off after the SUV. How did it get stolen, anyway?"

Jack's eyes turned…toward Owen. The medic, who was busily preparing a hypodermic, rolled his eyes. "I'm sorry, okay? I left the keys in the boot when we were unloading."

"What happened to basic security protocols?" the dragon asked sharply. This was inexcusable. They could have lost the SUV, along with all of the highly secret equipment inside. Much of that equipment was irreplaceable, and if someone figured out how to use it…there was no telling what damage might be done.

"I was busy, all right? And if you don't quit bitching at me, I'm gonna do a crap job with this! I ballsed up. I'm only human…unlike a certain Second who had to tear himself up chasing after the damned car."

"Looks like the body wasn't a warning," Jack mused, still stroking the dragon's snout. "More like a decoy."

That was worrying. It would mean…

"That would mean we've been watched since we arrived," Gwen echoed the dragon's own thoughts.

"Ianto," Jack said, "did you get a look at whoever took the SUV?"

"I did," the dragon answered, wincing as Owen started patching up his wing. "Jack…it looked human."

 

* * *

 

_**30 October 2007** _

 

 

Anyone looking at Ianto in dragon-form, would have assumed that his scales were hard and cold, like a fishes'. Nothing was farther from the truth; they were warm, and as smooth as the beach stones Jack and his brother used to collect back on Boeshane. Jack wasn't about to admit it, but he loved touching the dragon.

He watched as Owen carefully stitched up the dragon's torn wing. He wasn't used to seeing Ianto injured. It had only happened half a dozen times in the seven years they'd been running Torchwood, and he always bounced back almost immediately. This wound though…Jack got the impression this would take a while to heal. And he also knew this meant Ianto was grounded, quite literally. The dragon wasn't going to like that at all.

Jack's hand gently stroked the side of the dragon's snout, the glittering scales under his fingers warm and dry and so very alive. Ianto had curled his neck so his head would be close to the captain's body, encouraging the caress. Jack's chest warmed at the trust the dragon was showing by letting him touch him in such an intimate way.

Ianto's declaration that the person who'd stolen the SUV had been human had been a surprise. Jack considered that it could have been a humanoid-looking alien, but Ianto had been certain. Trailing his fingers along the strong jaw, he asked, "Can you describe him?"

The dragon hummed. "A little shorter than you," he answered. "Brown hair, wearing jeans and a gray pullover. I didn't see his face since he was running away from me, though. He certainly looked human to me."

"Maybe whoever took the SUV doesn't have anything to do with the body in the woods?" Gwen suggested. She didn't look very happy.

"More likely we got a serial killer on the loose," Owen cut in. He was using a long, curved needle on the dragon's wing, gently stitching the skin back together. "We set up camp next to his latest victim, and when we ran off to investigate he took the opportunity to get away in our car."

It made sense, but if it had happened that way, it would have been a hell of a coincidence. They just happened to camp there? They just happened to disturb a serial killer? "But you said the body hadn't been killed there," Jack pointed out.

"Maybe he just dropped him when he saw us there?" Toshiko suggested, from where she knelt next to Owen, her own small hand resting on the thin wing vane as he fixed the damage.

"He would have gotten blood all over him from the corpse," Jack said. "Was there blood in the SUV?"

"Didn't check," Owen admitted. Toshiko shook her head.

Gwen walked around to the drivers' side of the vehicle, peering in through the open door. "There's nothing," she reported.

"Maybe there's an accomplice?" Toshiko asked.

"I think we're making assumptions here," Jack put in, "and we don't have any proof either way. Human or human-shaped alien….we need to find out which one it is, whether this really is our jurisdiction."

"Jack," Gwen said, getting that look on her face that said she was going to argue about something. "Even if we're dealing with a human killer, we need to try to find the missing people and stop whoever it is from killing again."

The captain didn't want to deal with this right now, but he had no choice. "Gwen, it's not our job to stop human killers – "

"But you can't let them get away with this!"

"I'm not saying that. But if we discover that's what this is, then we turn it over to the local constabulary. We let them handle it." He pinned her with his sharpest glare, willing to make her understand.

She met his glare with one of her own, finally nodding. "Just so long as someone knows. That's all I ask."

"Fine," Owen snarked. "If we're all done with the pissing contest, I'm done with Dragon Boy here."

Ianto shifted slightly, turning his head toward his injured wing and away from Jack's stroking fingers. The captain was sorry for it.

He experimentally extended the wing, and a hiss escaped from his snout. "Thank you, Owen," the dragon said.

"Not a problem. Just don't do it again."

Ianto twisted his body, getting to his feet, then gingerly settling his wings against his back. "I'll try not to," he answered dryly.

Jack couldn't help but notice Gwen taking several steps back from the now upright dragon, but he ignored her. "Think you can shift back to your human form?"

Instead of speaking, Ianto's dragon shape began to glow, the sparkles moving until his body compacted itself back into the form of Ianto Jones. Ianto's face was pale, and he looked tired, but otherwise he seemed fine.

"Any pain?" Owen asked, putting away his kit.

"More like an ache," Ianto answered. "It isn't anything I can't handle."

"All right. But if it gets worse, change back to dragon. And no flying!"

Ianto rolled his eyes. "As if I would." He turned to Jack. "What's our next move then?"

Jack was glad to get back on topic. He was even gladder to see that the dragon appeared to be fine. He pulled the map he'd been using earlier out of his pocket, spreading it out onto the bonnet of the SUV. "If I'm right, then our would-be thief was running toward here." He stabbed his finder down on a small spot on the map; the name 'Brynblaidd' was written there. "I think we should check out this place, see what we can find out."

"We sure he went there?" Owen asked.

"No," Jack admitted. "But that was the direction he was heading toward when Gwen and I lost him. Plus it's the only village within thirty miles. I think it's worth a shot."

"At least we can drive there," the medic snarked, unimpressed. "I'd hate to have to walk it."

 

* * *

 

The village of Brynblaidd looked deserted.

It sent a shiver down Jack's spine.

He parked the SUV next to the village green, getting out of the vehicle, followed by his team. The captain felt inordinately proud of them as they lined up just behind him.

Brynblaidd resembled Ddraig Llyn, in that the buildings around the village were built of sturdy stone and whitewashed wood, but that was where any closeness ended. There was an eeriness about the place, as if it had been abandoned. It was far too quiet, and even the local wildlife seemed subdued, as if waiting for something to happen.

"Why would anyone want to live here?" Owen asked, trying to sound sarcastic but the words came out more hushed than anything else.

"This place…it's not right," Ianto murmured.

"Where is everyone?" Gwen demanded. "This place might be small, but there should be some villagers about. You don't think that whatever killed that man and stole the SUV, maybe got them too?"

"Ianto, Tosh…take that side of the village," Jack ordered, pointing toward the left. "Owen, Gwen, and I will take the other side. We'll meet up back here."

Ianto nodded, sliding the action on his gun as he and Toshiko headed in the direction Jack had indicated. Jack turned away from his Second and technician, leading the other two members of his team toward what looked like an inn.

"Is it smart?" Gwen asked, catching up and walking next to Jack.

"What do you mean?" the captain asked, drawing his Webley from its holster at his waist.

"I mean letting Tosh go off like that, with…Ianto."

Oh, this was not the time to be dealing with Gwen's suspicion. "Yes, it's very smart," he growled. "Not only is Ianto the best we have in the field, but he and Tosh work very well together. Now, I suggest you finally leave your prejudices at the door, Gwen. They aren't welcome in Torchwood."

He lengthened his stride, wanting to get away from her. He must have been completely blind to her faults when he'd hired her; he honestly hadn't realized that she'd be this way toward her own teammate. Gwen was so caring and compassionate to strangers, and yet couldn't be bothered to be that way with people she had to trust with her life, and vice versa. It didn't make sense to him.

Jack entered the inn first, his gun leading the way. The interior was gloomy; the door led directly into a dining room, the pale sunlight entering the room through the windows, dust motes dancing in the light. It looked as if the place hadn't seen a customer in days.

He motioned to his companions to look around. Jack headed toward the back, his gun out, the small hairs at the back of his neck standing straight up. Ianto had been correct; this place wasn't right, and the captain was beginning to suspect that things were a lot stranger than any of them was giving them credit for.

The sound of vomiting drew him back, and he found Gwen in the kitchen, leaning over and hacking what was left of her lunch onto to the floor. He rested a hand on her back. "You okay?" he checked.

She pointed around the countertop she was using to prop herself up on. "Over there."

Jack left her, circling the counter…to discover another butchered body. Hanging over it was a bug light, drawing away whatever insects would have been swarming the corpse and making a zapping noise when one would fly into it.

It was far more disturbing, that light, than the actual body.

It just screamed "premeditation."

Owen entered the kitchen, checking on Gwen himself before joining Jack at the body. "Shit!"

Jack didn't have time to say anything; a door slamming had him running out of the kitchen, calling Gwen to come with him as he went. His heart was hammering in his chest; he didn't want to admit it, but this place was disturbing him, and he wasn't easily disturbed like that. It should have been a normal, Welsh village, and yet, it wasn't. Something was there, and Jack was beginning to suspect that aliens didn't have anything to do with it.

He hit the front door of the inn, pushing it open, standing in the doorway long enough to check if anyone was outside waiting for them. There wasn't, and Jack stepped outside, his weapon at the ready. He could hear Gwen following, her boots crunching in the gravel, coughing as she tried to clear her throat of the sick she'd just puked up. "What the hell is going on?" she asked, sounding spooked.

_Spook_. Yes, that would be a good word to describe what was going on, if Jack actually believed in ghosts. This village was as close to haunted as he was willing to admit, the wind whistling through the abandoned buildings as he and Gwen stood there, circling around each other as they tried to find what had caused that door to slam shut like that.

There was nothing.

Another building sat next to the inn; Jack wanted to check it out, but Owen was still at the inn…he debated leaving the medic on his own, deciding it would be a really bad idea. "Let's get Owen, then we'll check out the next building."

He wasn't about to leave any of his team alone in Brynblaidd.

Owen was on his way out as they headed back in, so together the three made their way to the next building. Jack stood to the side of the door, his hand on the knob, as Gwen and Owen took positions on the other side, awaiting his signal, their guns ready.

Jack nodded, then pulled the door open. It was a house, the door leading into an entry with a staircase on one wall. It was just as deserted as the inn, and Jack thought he caught the sharp tang of blood on the air has he made his way down the small hall past the stairs.

Gwen squealed, and he spun around, his Webley up and cocked. Gwen had taken a step into a room just off the entry hall, and she was backing out, something wet making dark shoe marks on the well-worn wood of the floor.

The captain knew, without looking, that it was blood.

"There's another body in there," she gagged. "Just like the others."

Jack motioned Owen forward, and the medic ducked into the room. The immortal peeked inside, and sure enough, there was another stripped body lying on the floor.

"What did this?" Gwen asked, her voice rising almost hysterically. "It can't be a human, it just can't!"

Jack grabbed her by the arm. "You need to focus, Gwen."

She laughed weakly. "I should be at home, having dinner with Rhys. What am I doing here with you? Aren't you scared, Jack?"

Jack was, but he wasn't going to admit it. He wasn't scared for himself; it was for his team, and whatever was in this village that was killing and then dressing the victims as if they were just pieces of meat. He knew that letting that fear get to him was the quick way of getting people killed, and he wasn't about to risk that.

He thought about Ianto and Toshiko, doing their own search on the other side of the village. Had they found more bodies? Jack trusted Ianto to protect Tosh, even if he was injured. He had to remain calm and do the same with Owen and Gwen.

"We need to move on," he said sharply, needing Gwen to listen to him and to control her own terror. "We have a couple more buildings, then we can meet Ianto and Tosh and see what they found out. In the meantime, you need to get a grip, Gwen. Letting your fear take over is the quick way of getting yourself and possibly your teammates killed."

She looked up at him, and Jack could see the horror swimming in her eyes. She wasn't ready for this, that was obvious. But they had to rely on each other, if they were to find out what had happened.

Gwen nodded. Jack returned it, then called to Owen.

They had a few more things to check, before they could meet up with their teammates.

 

* * *

 

_**30 October 2007** _

 

_**  
**_

Together, Ianto and Toshiko made their way in the direction Jack had indicated, each with their guns drawn.

Ianto normally didn't care for guns, but he knew there were times that having one was necessary. This was one of those times, when he needed to be able to protect one of his teammates from an unknown threat. Being a dragon meant that he had natural defenses of his own: his flame, the fact that he couldn't be damaged too easily, and his connection to the natural world, even if that connection only lent itself to what he termed 'parlor tricks'.

In his human form, he of course knew what Jack had taught him about self-defense; and there was also the fact that he was a bit stronger than a normal human, and his skin was tougher even if it wasn't obvious by sight or touch. It took a lot to put Ianto Jones down in either form, and it made him eminently qualified to protect his teammates – his family – in almost any circumstance.

But, with the injury he'd sustained in trying to stop the SUV, Ianto felt…strange. A throbbing pain hovered somewhere under his right shoulder blade, pulsing in time with his heartbeat. He'd lied to Owen about the strength of the pain; but he knew he couldn't risk being down, when they knew so little about what was going on. All team members needed to be on alert.

The pain though, hadn't really started until he'd changed back into human. Whatever Owen had used to numb the wound while he'd stitched it up had held up until the time he shifted from dragon and into Ianto Jones. He hoped he hadn't done any more damage to it, but it couldn't be helped. Once he returned home, he could change back, and rest his wing for as long as needed.

Right now, his team needed the human him.

The village had a surreal quality about it, that sent a shiver down Ianto's spine. He was used to the warm and friendly atmosphere of Ddraig Llyn, and this was its direct opposite. It was as if the entirety of Brynblaidd had simply left, abandoning the town. He was familiar with the story of the _Mary Celeste_ , and Ianto realized that this was what it must have felt like, walking on board that empty ship, with nothing but ghosts for company.

He glanced at Toshiko; his friend walked beside him, her own gun out and ready for use. Her face was blank, but Ianto knew the village was affecting her as badly as it was him. And yet, he knew she wouldn't let it get to her, or get in the way of doing the job they came there to do. He was glad that they'd been paired. Ianto enjoyed working with Toshiko almost as much as he did Jack.

A sudden screeching filled the air.

Ianto stopped, his heart racing. He looked around, but saw nothing.

"What was that?" Toshiko asked, also searching for the source of the sound.

The dragon shook his head. "I think it was just a fox." He wasn't sure; he'd heard a fox's call before, and it was similar. But there was something else about it that shivered his scales, as his father would have said, and Ianto didn't like the sensation at all.

They continued down the street. The last building was a house with a stone wall around it. Toshiko covering, Ianto made his way up the gravel path toward the front door.

It was locked.

He stepped away. The stone wall seemed to continue around the entire property. "Let's check the back."

"All right," Toshiko answered, falling into step behind him, watching his back as they made their way around the house, looking for a way in. The 'alley' opened up onto a rear garden area that had a natural rise as its back boundary.

Blood reached Ianto's sensitive nostrils. He turned, and almost knocked Tosh down in his rush to step away from the bird carcass that had almost hit him in the face.

He took a closer look; the bird wasn't the only animal there, hanging from a large tree that shaded the back yard. "Someone's been busy," he murmured.

"It's a bit ironic, isn't it?" When Ianto glanced in her direction, questioning on his face, Toshiko elaborated. "They hunted these animals…and now something is hunting them."

Ianto rolled his eyes, smirking. "Only you, Tosh."

"And you love me for it."

He was going to retort, when another scream sounded over the open land. They both stiffened, lifting their weapons, scanning for the cause.

There was nothing.

"Still think it's a fox?" Toshiko asked.

Ianto didn't answer. He didn't have to.

The back door was also locked. Ianto was seriously considering kicking it in, when yet another scream – this one much closer – drew their attention. He strode toward the rise at the very rear of the property, hoping to get a better view of the surrounding landscape.

There was nothing but empty land.

He turned, meaning to go back to the house…

But Toshiko was missing.

Ianto cursed silently. He'd only turned his back for a few moments! He stalked back toward what he'd assumed was an empty house, eyes gliding along the ground, looking for any sign of his friend.

He could see nothing.

He didn't call out to her. He had a feeling it wouldn't do any good. Instead, Ianto tried the door again; it was still locked, but this time he raised his foot in order to kick it in.

A sudden rustling noise came from his left.

Ianto spun, gun pointed in that direction. He could see nothing out of the ordinary, and yet the dragon just _knew_ he was being watched. Whoever they'd been searching for had obviously taken Toshiko, and now they were playing games with him.

It suddenly occurred to him that they weren't dealing with just one person. That the man who'd attempted to steal the SUV wasn't working alone. Toshiko had suggested that very thing, back after his run-in with the SUV, but they hadn't had enough evidence to support the notion.

Well, he didn't have more now, except for his instinct which told him that not only was he not alone, but that there were more than one out there. Ianto trusted his instinct, and even though he couldn't see anything, whoever was stalking him could have been anywhere.

He edged his way toward the corner of the house, gun still raised and at the ready. He needed to know what had happened to Toshiko, and whoever was out there was the best chance of him finding out.

It was far too quiet now. Only the wind made any sound at all, rustling through the leaves of the tree and making the dangling game animals swirl and dance as if they were somehow coming back to life. A superstitious thrill traveled down Ianto's spine, fluttering just below his thumping heart.

As a dragon, he shouldn't have been worried that anyone could really hurt him, at least not badly. But the very atmosphere of the village was wearing on him, and making him jumpy. His palms were actually sweating, and he had to adjust his grip on his weapon in order not to drop it.

Only the prickling at the back of his neck warned him that he was being approached. Ianto barely had time to process it before something heavy slammed into the back of his head, knocking him to the ground.

His vision whitened out for a few, precious seconds, but Ianto didn't actually lose consciousness. A normal human would have, but his thick skull protected him from such blows. He remained on the ground, his brain forming a plan even as the pain that had accompanied his damaged wing flaired from his body's sudden impact with the unforgiving turf.

These people had taken Toshiko. He needed to find her.

Ianto remained limp as his attackers lifted him. It took all his willpower not to moan as the pain in his back intensified; he'd been grabbed by both arms, and the tension across his shoulders was incredible. Still he managed to keep quiet as they dragged him somewhere; he couldn't tell where, even if he dared open his eyes to check out his surroundings.

His captors were talking, and Ianto listened to see if they gave anything away. They mostly complained about how heavy Ianto was; not a surprise, in his human form the dragon was a bit heavier even though he didn't look it. But, one of them mentioned something about a 'harvest', and how he – Ianto – would give them good meat.

It made his blood run cold. These were humans, and they were talking about eating him, as if this was the most normal thing in the world.

_Cannibals_. In bloody _Wales_.

It was almost too much to take in. Ianto had seen some of the worst that human-kind could come up with, but this was…it was only the idea that they might take him to Toshiko that kept him from wrestling himself from their grasp and attacking the pair of them. Cannibalism was so wrong, on so many levels…Ianto couldn't wrap his mind around the idea. It sickened him, and he had to swallow roughly to avoid giving himself away by vomiting.

His captors wrestled him down some stone steps, and one let go in order to get a door open; at least, the loud squealing sounded like unoiled hinges. Ianto found himself being thrown bodily somewhere, and the dragon fell awkwardly, onto his right side.

He barely noticed the door closing, and a heavy bolt being thrown. Ianto lay on the ground, panting sharply, trying to move past the pain in his mistreated body. Damn, why hadn't he asked Owen for any more painkillers?

Oh right…because he was stubborn and hated human drugs.

That didn't make a lot of sense, now that he was apparently a prisoner of whoever was responsible for the murder in the woods, and the disappearances of seventeen people and perhaps an entire village.

He eventually levered himself upright, taking a look at his surroundings. It was a small and gloomy room, and it stank of rotted offal and dampness. It looked like some sort of storeroom, with wicked-looking meat hooks and chains hanging from the ceiling. He could tell they were underground somewhere, just from the feeling of the air against his exposed skin. A humming refrigerator took up one wall, while on another there was a very suspicious pile of clothes and shoes. There was also a ramp leading down from outside, and Ianto didn't have to wonder what it was for.

Toshiko was lying in a heap beside a crate. Ianto scrambled over to her, checking her closely. He'd barely touched her neck, to check for a pulse, when she moaned and began to move. "What hit me?" she muttered, as Ianto helped her to sit up.

"I believe it was whoever was responsible for the disappearances," he answered, settling her onto the crate. "How's your head?"

"Killing me, thanks." She took a look around. "Nice of them to give us the best guest room."

Ianto chuckled. "Yep, they certainly didn't scrimp on the accommodations."

Toshiko looked at him, her eyes narrowing. "And just how did they grab you?"

"I let them," the dragon shrugged. "It was the easiest way to find you."

The technician snorted. "Now we're both trapped. Unless you…" She made a hand gesture that Ianto interpreted to mean, _'change into your dragon form.'_

"Actually, I think it's best we sit tight," he answered. "I would really like to meet the ones behind all this." He told her what he'd overheard as they'd dragged him down into the underground room.

"Cannibals?" Toshiko asked, wide-eyed. "In Wales?"

"That was my reaction, actually."

She shuddered, and Ianto pulled her close. It was chilly in their prison, and he didn't want her to catch a chill. "You don't think it was the ones who brought us here?"

"No, I don't. I think this is bigger than anything we've ever come across before, if the village is any indication. But it's certainly not alien."

Toshiko reached down and took a small torch from her boot. She flashed the light around, getting a better look at their surroundings. "I could probably get us out of here," she mused. "There isn't a cell I don't think I could get out of."

Ianto didn't doubt her, knowing her history. "I still think we should wait to see who's leading this merry band of cannibals. We can get away then, and get the others. If they don't know already." He trusted Jack to look after Gwen and Owen, or else he would have certainly escaped to warn them.

"Get the police in here," Toshiko added, standing up. She swayed slightly, but shrugged off Ianto's helping hand in order to explore. "This is more up their alley than it is ours."

Ianto watched her, wanting to make sure she was all right. "I wonder when the last time the Welsh constabulary had to deal with cannibals."

Toshiko grinned. "Oh, this might be interesting. Can we stay and watch?"

"Toshiko Sato…you are warped. Well and truly warped."

"That's the nicest thing anyone has said to me in a long while."

She poked around the discarded clothing. "I wonder how many have been down here?"

"Well, there were seventeen disappearances that we know of."

"Makes you really wonder how many there actually are, if they can take an entire village plus seventeen strangers." She reached for the handle of the refrigerator, pulling the door open. Light spilled into the darkness of the room, dazzling Ianto's eyes for a moment.

Toshiko went pale, slamming the door closed. She looked at him, her eyes wide like saucers in shock. "The cannibals story has just been confirmed," she gasped.

Ianto went over to her, putting his arm around her. "Storage?"

He didn't have to elaborate; she nodded, swallowing thickly. "We're definitely food."

 

* * *

 

_**30 October 2007** _

 

 

Jack led the way toward the next building, and although he could guess what they'd find, he still thought it would be a good idea to check it out. It was a house, two stories, the stone not as well kept as it could have been with lichen and vines growing from the cracks between each stone. It looked to be as abandoned as any of the other buildings in the village, and the immortal couldn't help but grip his Webley tighter.

The three approached the front door cautiously, Jack making sure he was on point. The curtains were drawn across the windows, leaving the house looking blank.

It was a plain wooden door, and it also had a dilapidated look to it, the green paint peeling in the chill, damp air. He was about to motion Gwen and Owen to take each side, but Gwen jumped out ahead, and before Jack could stop her she'd tried the knob.

"It's locked," she murmured.

Jack rolled his eyes. "Take the right; Owen, you take the left. I'll try to open it myself." Was Gwen trying to get herself killed? It made more sense that he go first, and try to open the door. After all, anything that might come out at them couldn't kill him for long.

At least she did as he ordered, resting her back against the wall. Owen did the same, as Jack tried the door once more. The lock must have been as old as the building; it just took a little bit of strength to force it open, only to have it stopped by a chain that could only have been hooked from the inside.

That gave Jack a bit of hope that someone had survived whatever had happened there. He tried to press his eye to the gap between door and jamb, but could see nothing. He glanced at his teammates; they both looked ready, if not a little freaked out. Owen was calmer than Gwen, but that only made sense.

Jack gave a little push, and the chain gave way far too easily. It had to have been as old as the lock, and judging from the softness of the wood in the jamb, he wondered if the house had ever really been secured that much in the past. Well, that made sense; villages like this were most likely used to keeping their doors and windows open to their neighbors, not expecting trouble.

Gun firmly in hand, Jack entered the house.

There was a loud bang, followed by sharp pain all along his right side.

Suddenly, all Jack could see was the darkening sky.

He heard yelling; Owen was telling someone to ' _put the gun down_ ', repeating himself a couple of times…at least that's what Jack thought was happening. The sky was blocked by Gwen's scared face, her hair tickling his cheeks as she bent over him.

Jack blinked, coming back to himself. He gasped, moving his hand toward the throbbing agony in his side. A quick feel revealed wetness. "Shit," he moaned, "I hate getting shot."

A terrified voice was practically screaming. "I thought you were them! I thought they'd found me!"

"Help me up," he ordered Gwen. With her support, Jack regained his feet, swaying as the pain increased. It felt as if his entire side was on fire, and he clamped his hand as hard as he could against the wound to keep it from bleeding too badly. The last thing Jack wanted to do was to die of exsanguination. It was in his top five list of ways not to die. "Damn, Ianto's going to put me on decaf for getting blood all over the coat again."

Gwen laughed; it sounded vaguely hysterical. "I think that's the last thing you have to worry about, Jack."

"Just wait until it happens to you, and you won't be so glib about it." Jack straightened as best he could, heading into the house with Gwen's help. "What do we have?" he demanded.

Owen had his gun on a young man – boy, really – who was sitting on an ugly paisley patterned chair. He was unkempt, his hair stringy and his eyes wide with terror. Tears were tracking down his dirty face as he stared at Jack. "I'm sorry," the kid moaned, "I thought you were them!"

"Who?" Jack asked sharply. "Who did you think we were?"

"Jesus, Jack," Owen swore. "Gwen, cover the cowboy here while I patch up our fearless leader before he bleeds to death."

Jack was handed off to the medic, who steered him deeper into the house. Jack let him, the agony throbbing through him in time with his heartbeat. "Why couldn't he have been a better shot and killed me?"

"Quit whining, Harkness. This is why you hired me."

They found themselves in the kitchen. Owen cleared off the table, maneuvering the immortal onto it. Jack complied, knowing that Owen had a point, and this wasn't the worst he'd ever been hurt without actually dying. By this time tomorrow, he'd be completely healed at his normal rate.

Owen snapped on rubber gloves from his kit, then lifted both of Jack's shirts. "Okay, this isn't so bad. Dragon Boy is gonna do worse to you, when he sees the blood on your coat."

Jack laughed. "Decaf."

"Most likely. Better you than me. Now, lay still and I'm gonna dig this buckshot out so you can heal cleanly."

Buckshot? Well, that would explain the spray pattern of pain he was feeling. "Just do it," he gritted out, readying himself.

"Most of the shot is near the surface," Owen reported as he rooted around in his med-kit for what he'd need. "Another inch to the left and you'd be gasping back to life and freaking out Annie Oakley even more than he already is."

"That would have been preferable."

"You're such a sissy." Owen held up a hypodermic. "I'm going to numb the area, then get started."

"Isn't this where you quip about feeling a small prick?"

"Are you kidding? I've worked with you long enough to know what sort of shit I'd be in for if I said anything of the sort."

Jack barely felt the needle past the burning of the wounds. Whatever was in the shot seemed to take effect almost immediately, and the pain faded to a dull ache. "That's some good stuff."

"Actually, it's what I used on Ianto when I stitched him up," Owen answered, holding up a pair of forceps so Jack could see what he planned on doing next. "I figure with your hyper metabolism I'd want to use the best for you."

That was probably a good thing, Jack supposed, as he felt Owen begin to dig out the pellets. He glanced up; Gwen was also in the kitchen, her eyes wide in shock, with the kid who'd shot him standing beside her, his face pale. He raised his head in order to pin the kid with what Ianto called his "Captain's Glare." It seemed to work; the boy cringed. "What's going on here?" Jack asked, trying not to grunt as the medic did his work.

The kid shook his head. "My Mum won't know what happened! They weren't expecting me back until after the weekend!" His voice was tinged with more than a little hysteria.

"Look, we'll get you home – "

"What are you gonna do? You can't fight them! They're too strong!"

"Who are 'they'?" Jack demanded.

The kid didn't reply; he seemed to be in more shock than Jack was, and he didn't have the benefit of a shitload of buckshot pellets in him.

"What about the others?" Gwen asked.

"We're still meeting them at the village green," Jack answered. He looked over at Owen. "You about done?"

"Just about…there, the last one." The medic held up the forceps, showing off the rather large pellet. He tossed it aside, the sound of it skittering across the floor loud in the sudden silence. "I'll bandage you up, and we'll be ready to go."

Jack didn't say anything; he simply laid back, his eyes on the ceiling. A spider had taken up residence on the fixture, and the web it had woven swayed slightly.

He was worried about Tosh and Ianto. The kid they'd found seemed too much in shock to even answer anything coherently, and he'd be of no use whatsoever. That meant they wouldn't get any understanding of what was going on in the village from him, and Jack didn't like not knowing what was going on.

He could only hope that Ianto and Tosh hadn't run into any trouble. Jack trusted the dragon to look after her, and vice versa. After all, they weren't children. They knew how to look out for each other.

"Done," Owen said, stepping back. He pulled off the gloves, tossing them negligently in the corner, then offered Jack a hand up.

Jack accepted, staggering slightly on regaining his feet. Gwen handed him back his weapon, and Jack tucked it into his greatcoat pocket, not wanting to exacerbate his wound any more by trying to wrestle it into its holster. "Let's go find Ianto and Tosh," he growled, angry once more that he hadn't been killed outright.

"If they're still alive," the kid rambled. Then he flinched. "Sorry."

Jack didn't want to think about that. The dragon could handle just about anything flung at him, and Toshiko was the most scary resourceful person he'd ever met. He just knew they'd be fine, but at that moment Jack just wanted to locate them, then get the hell out of Brynblaidd. Once gone, they could call the local coppers and get them in to clean up. At least seventeen disappearances could be linked to the area, and at least three bodies to this village alone. Jack didn't hold out any hope that any of the missing were still alive, except for this kid.

Jack was in desperate need of information, and this boy was the closest he was going to get to a source.

They made their way out of the house, and back into the main street. Jack shook loose Owen's support, choosing to walk beside their new friend. "What's your name?" he asked casually, hoping to calm the kid down enough to get something out of him.

He looked surprised at being asked. "Kieran," he answered uncertainly.

"Kieran…okay. I'm Jack. That's Owen, and Gwen. We're gonna get out of this. Trust me."

Kieran shuddered. "I'm scared…"

Jack tried to smile reassuringly at him, and it seemed to work, judging from the faint smile he got back. "Yeah, I know you are."

"I'm really sorry I shot you."

Jack shrugged. "This? Had worse from shaving. You're a crappy shot." _You didn't kill me_ , he thought, a little spitefully. Then he regretted it; Ianto hated it when he died, but being shot meant he wasn't at 100 percent, and that could lead to more danger for his team.

"Never picked up a shotgun before. Found that one in a closet in that house. Just had to defend myself." Kieran was still nervy, apparent from the jerky way he was speaking.

Jack looked around, scanning for threats. It was getting darker, and a cold wind was starting to blow along the deserted road. Owen had moved to walk in front of them, his gun pointed at the ground, doing his own visual search of the area. Gwen walked beside Kieran, her eyes going from the boy to their surroundings, and Jack realized he'd have to train her on basic security routines.

The pain in his side was coming back, his metabolism already working through the painkiller Owen had given him. It seemed to heighten his awareness, and not for the first time since arriving Jack was feeling as if he was being watched. He slid his Webley from his pocket, holding it down at his side, his eyes flicking at the buildings as they passed.

The SUV was parked where they'd left it; the keys were safely in the captain's pocket this time. But it wasn't alone.

A panda car had pulled in behind it. A constable wearing the familiar bright yellow hi-visibility jacket was leaning toward the passenger-side window, trying to look inside the SUV. Jack watched as he pulled away, knowing the man had been disappointed because of the one-way tint on all the windows.

There was something off about it.

Gwen sighed in relief, and would have greeted the copper, but Jack hissed at her. She turned to look at him, confusion on her face. "It's a constable," she said.

"Yeah, looks like it," Jack muttered, "but why is he interested in the SUV when there's an entire abandoned village to investigate?"

"You don't think – " Owen began, but he went quiet as the copper noticed their approach.

The man was young, and he smiled as the quartet approached. Kieran was looking decidedly spooked, and Jack couldn't blame him. "Good evening," he greeted. "Who are you, please?"

"Special Ops," Jack answered, hiding his gun behind a fold in his coat. Gwen and Owen still had theirs out, but Gwen had hers hanging at her side. Only Owen was still alert. Yes, there was definitely going to be some training after this.

The constable looked confused. "Don't know why there'd be Special Ops here. You break down or something?"

"Or something. Do you know where all the villagers are?" Jack decided bluntness was best, hoping to catch the man out.

"Sure," he answered cordially. "They're all up at the Big House." He motioned over his shoulder; there was a rather large building mostly hidden behind some trees at the far end of the village, in the direction that Ianto and Tosh had gone. The only reason Jack was seeing it now were the lights coming on within. "There's a village meeting tonight, that's why I'm here. Constabulary report. I saw the big car parked and decided to check it out."

The panda car must have come up from the opposite end of town, Jack realized, or else he and his group would have heard it. "There's more going on here than just a village meeting," he snapped.

"We've found bodies," Gwen out in. "Butchered bodies, at the inn, and in a vacant house down the road."

Jack heard Owen say something nasty under his breath, and he wanted to add to it. Gwen had worked with law enforcement long enough that she trusted it completely, and she wasn't seeing that something was definitely wrong with this situation.

"You mean the Harvest," the constable answered, smiling.

_He was in on it._

And Jack realized that the entire village of Brynblaidd had to be part of what was going on.

 

* * *

 

_**30 October 2007** _

 

_**  
**_

It was a bit boring waiting for something to happen.

Ianto and Tosh passed the time by trying to work out ways to get past the very large metal door that blocked the exit.

"How are you at calculating target stress points?" Ianto mused, trying to get comfortable on the crate he was sitting on. He was doing his best to ignore the refrigerator humming quietly to itself, but it stayed at the corner of his mind like an itch he couldn't reach. "Find the weakest point, a bit of brute force…" And he would be volunteering the brute force part.

Toshiko shook her head, her hair accidentally flapping in his face. She was sitting next to him, huddled up close to his side, in order to share the dragon's somewhat unnatural – for a human – body heat. "Nice thought," she answered, "but it's reinforced."

"How about the hinges?" Ianto mused.

"That might work. There are plenty of things we could use as tools in here." Toshiko laughed. "You know, they really didn't count on holding a pair of Torchwood operatives, did they?"

Ianto snorted. It was true. He and Tosh could have escaped from this room if they'd wanted to. But both of them were waiting; waiting to see just who was behind all this. It was still mind boggling that it was actually cannibals. That had been the very last thing Ianto had expected.

He shifted slightly, trying to get into a more comfortable position. His shoulder was really beginning to throb, and he promised himself that he'd ask Owen for those painkillers next time. He didn't think the injury would affect his performance once they got out of their prison, but it was bothersome. The last time he'd been injured had been when he and Jack had tried to tackle an alien who spat pure acid; Ianto had had several very painful burns but Jack had been killed.

Once Jack had come to mind, Ianto couldn't help but wonder if the immortal had learned about the presence of the cannibals yet. He was worried about the other members of the team, but he knew Jack would look after them.

But then, a horrible thought came to him: what if the cannibals discovered that Jack couldn't die?

"Are you all right?' Toshiko asked, looking at him.

Of course, she was close, she would have felt the shiver that thought would have caused. "Just…a thought I don't think I want to share at the moment," he answered, not certain if anyone could hear their conversation.

She seemed to catch the hint; she went back to looking at the door. "You know," she said, "some of those bolts look a bit rusty. I bet we could pry a few out."

Ianto didn't get a chance to answer. The tiny window in the door slid open with a little squeal, and light filtered in from the hallway outside.

They both stiffened as the door itself opened with an even louder squeal. They remained sitting, letting whoever it was fully enter the room.

It was a woman, and if Ianto was any judge she was one of the villagers. She was an older lady, her hair wild about her face. She looked scared; but her eyes told a different story, as did the rifle she was carrying. It was obvious the fear was an act, possibly to put them at ease.

She seemed a bit nonplused to have her two prisoners sitting calmly, but she recovered quickly. "I'm not gonna hurt you," she said, even as she held the gun in their direction.

"You have a rather large rifle," Toshiko pointed out mildly.

That calm response rattled the woman even more. "Were you injured? When they took you? Can I see? I'm a nurse." Her caring tone just sounded false.

There was no way Ianto was going to let that woman get anywhere near himself and Toshiko. "Just a couple of bruises," he said, brushing the offer aside. He wondered why cannibals would care if they were hurt or not.

"Okay," the woman answered, taking a step forward. "Does anyone know you're here? Have you managed to call for help?"

Like they were going to admit that! "We don't need any help," Ianto said glibly. "So, what's going on, anyway? It's obvious you people are cannibals. Just how many have you butchered?"

Ianto didn't think he could have surprised the woman more if he'd transformed in front of her. She raised the rifle, any pretense of being frightened gone under the dragon's pointed questioning. "It's the Harvest," she answered, grinning almost madly. "You're just meat to us."

The change in her almost made Ianto shiver, even though he'd suspected her fear was nothing but play-acting. He kept his face calm, knowing that acting like everything was fine was the easiest way to throw someone off their guard. "So, what do you intend to do with us?"

She waved the gun toward them. "Get up," she answered. "We're going for a walk."

 

* * *

 

Ianto noticed the smell before Toshiko did; but then, his senses were strong, even dulled as they were by his human form.

The woman had taken them from their cell-like room, up a flight of steep stairs, and outside. It was obvious they'd been in some sort of storage cellar before; but seeing the entrance to the underground bunker just confirmed that belief. The cellar doors were behind a large manor house that had obviously seen better days. The stone and brick of the house were pitted and eroded, and dirty with lichen. The door their captor motioned them toward was just beyond the cellar entrance, and it had once been painted green until nature and weather had split and faded the original color to a muddy, opaque hue.

Ianto took Tosh's hand as they walked toward the door. Certainly, it would have been childs' play to disarm the woman, but Ianto still wanted to see who the leader was of the cannibals.

The stench came from just beyond that door.

He glanced at Toshiko; she was looking at the door, trepidation on her pretty face. He cursed himself; he shouldn't be letting her walk into what was an obvious abattoir, judging from that horrible odor.

Ianto just couldn't do it. He couldn't put her in danger like that.

He squeezed Tosh's hand, hoping she would get the hint, then let go. Ianto then shifted slightly, wanting to give the impression that he was going to run.

He felt the muzzle of the rifle poke him in the lower back, the woman obviously picking up on his movement. Her attention was on him, just where he wanted, and Ianto acted.

He spun quickly, and with a back-handed slap he knocked the rifle away from them. He went to grab the weapon, managing to wrestle it from the woman's grasp as Toshiko was moving, her fist taking their captor in the face and knocking her to the ground.

The woman stayed down.

Ianto turned to Toshiko, who stared down at the unmoving woman. "Sorted," she stated, nodding.

"Sorted," Ianto agreed. He was so proud of her, for being ready when he made his move.

She grinned up at his fiercely. "What say we get the others and get the hell out of here?"

"Very good idea," the dragon agreed. "But I want to make sure she doesn't warn the others that we've escaped. Head down to meet Jack, and tell him I'm on my way."

Toshiko looked like she wanted to argue, but she nodded once. Ianto handed her the rifle, then gave her a quick buss on the cheek. "Off you go."

She trotted off around the house, and it was only when Ianto had lost sight of her that he got to work. He went to lift the unconscious woman…his shoulder instantly protested, but he saw it through, slinging her over his good shoulder and heading back toward the cellar, meaning to lock her in where he and Tosh has been.

He got her down there, dumping her not very carefully onto the filthy floor. Ianto couldn't bring himself to care about her; she was a cannibal, and ate her own kind. That sort of thing was anathema to dragon-kind, and he couldn't understand why someone would choose to do it. It was evil, and wrong.

The heavy door shut and locked behind him, Ianto headed back up, meaning to follow Toshiko back to the middle of the village. He'd closed the cellar, and was just past the door to the house and the horrible smell, when something slammed into his back.

The first blow was low, and would only leave a bruise. It was the second strike, as Ianto was turning, that sent him to his knees…it hit right across his bad shoulder, in the area that had been hurting ever since he'd changed after damaging his wing.

Agony rolled through him in horrible waves that had his vision going white, then dark. He was barely aware of another blow, this one across the back of his head, but it knocked him face-first in the grass.

Ianto felt paralyzed by the pain. His mind went muzzy with it, and he couldn't concentrate. He knew he was being lifted, he was aware of that, but he couldn't see, and he couldn't fight back.

He was helpless.

Someone pulled on his right arm, yanking his injured shoulder, and Ianto couldn't help but moan. He was dragged, almost losing consciousness before being dropped onto something hard, which had to be a floor. He was rolled over, landing once more on his painful shoulder, but this jolt cleared his vision.

A man was staring down at him, a manic glare on his ugly features. "What have you done, meat?" he snarled, waving a wicked-looking cleaver in front of Ianto's face. "What have you done with my wife?"

Ianto didn't answer. He couldn't. He was still too stunned by the blows he'd taken.

The cannibal bared his teeth, brandishing the cleaver. "You're just meat to us, boy," he went on, "and we tenderize meat first before we bleed it."

Then the man was gone, replaced by another, this one in a gray jumper…and Ianto's brain recognized him as the man who'd stolen the SUV. He held what registered to him as a baseball bat.

Ianto knew he had to get up. It was obvious he was about to be beaten, and while it really wouldn't damage him short-term, enough blows over an extended period of time could hurt him. And if they kept striking his wounded shoulder, it could get even worse.

"There was a girl with him," he heard the first cannibal say. "We need to find her and bring her back."

_No._ Ianto couldn't risk them going after Toshiko. She was his friend, and he wasn't about to watch as she was dragged back to face the fate that these sick bastards had in store for her. He had to give her time to find Jack, and to get away. He couldn't let these cannibals find her, or the others.

Ianto really didn't care what happened to him; but he would always protect his friends.

_His dragon-friends._

With that thought, Ianto reached down deep within, where the spark of his magic lived. Touched it, and triggered it…

But nothing happened.

Ianto panicked. He couldn't transform. Something was blocking his magic. Maybe it was the original injury; or maybe it was something else. He didn't know, but he had to do something.

Hands grabbed him, and pain shot through him once more at the rough handling. Ianto tried once again to change into his dragon-form…

The magic flared to life, and he felt his very body twist and change, his bones realigning into their real shape. His wings unfurled, and the pain from that was indescribable. He could hear the screams and shouts of the cannibals as the transformation overtook him, and his agonized roar joined them as they echoed throughout the room he'd been dragged into.

He couldn't completely stretch his wings; there wasn't enough space within the cluttered room for that. His tail was curled tightly against his body as well, and the dragon knew he'd made a mistake changing within that enclosed space.

But he hadn't had a choice.

He had to keep them there, and to protect Toshiko and his teammates.

The dragon felt blows against his scaled body, and he couldn't help but chuckle at the effort. "You think your puny weapons can hurt me?" he laughed. He couldn't let them know just how badly he was injured; he tucked his damaged wing tightly against his side, hoping they wouldn't notice the dark stitches in the leathery hide.

He inhaled, feeling his flame burst into life as his bellows-like lungs pulled in oxygen.

The dragon lifted his head, and the flame escaped.

 

* * *

 

_**30 October 2007** _

 

_**  
**_

Jack and Owen both had their guns trained on the grinning constable, while Gwen simply stared at him in shock.

In a way, Jack couldn't blame her. Being a part of any sort of law enforcement agency – or even the armed forces, as he'd been – meant that you trusted your fellows to watch your back no matter what. Them being part of something as evil as what was going on in Brynblaidd was something a person simply didn't even consider.

And yet, at the same time, she needed to learn fast that she could only trust her teammates from now on. It didn't help that there was one person on that team that she didn't trust. It angered him; Ianto was perhaps the only one in Torchwood – and Jack himself, of course – that the mortal members of the team _could_ trust to look out for them in life-or-death situations. The dragon was tough, and while he could be injured, he didn't let it stop him from protecting the others.

And, if Jack thought he understood the idea of dragon-friends correctly, Ianto had pretty much declared them all his family. That would make him even harder to stop.

"What is the Harvest?" Jack snapped, wanting as much information as he could get.

The PC's grin turned into a slow smile. "Every ten years, this is our Harvest. You're just meat to us."

Jack felt his gorge rise, and he swallowed it back down with difficulty as he put it all together. The disappearances, the butchered corpses…

"Only in the countryside," Owen groaned, apparently working it out for himself as well. "You sick fuckers."

"But why?" Gwen asked, looking ill. "Why do it?"

They were all on the same page then, about what was going on in the village. "Doesn't matter," Jack answered. "Owen, cuff our cannibal PC and stick him in the back of his own car. We need to go and find Ianto and Tosh."

The constable laughed. "They're already meat for the Harvest," he said. "You're too late."

For a second, Jack mourned. The thought of losing Tosh and Ianto – especially Ianto – swept over him and he wanted to curl up and give in.

But he didn't. Instead, he turned his own smile onto their prisoner. "Then you have no idea who you're dealing with, if you think that."

The copper's smile faded, confusion flickering in his eyes as he must have read Jack's certainty.

And Jack _was_ certain. He was certain that Ianto and Toshiko were just fine. Certainly, they could have found themselves confronted by the villagers, but the captain knew his Second and his technician very well indeed. He knew that Ianto would do anything within his ability to protect Tosh, and she would do the same. Plus, Ianto was a dragon, the last of his kind. Yes, the bastard who'd tried to steal the SUV had seen the dragon, but that didn't mean that he would have been believed. Even if he had been, these cannibals would have no idea how to stop a dragon.

A vague niggling whispered to him that Ianto was injured, that it would put him at a disadvantage, but Jack pushed it away. It wouldn't matter that the dragon had been hurt; he _knew_ his Second. He _knew_ nothing would stop Ianto from doing what needed to be done.

He had faith in Ianto Jones.

Owen holstered his gun, then manhandled the cannibal constable toward the panda, and not being too gentle about it. Jack kept him covered, not wanting to risk the man getting loose and warning anyone else. "Make sure there's nothing he can use as a weapon," he reminded the medic.

"Got it covered," Owen answered, for once not letting loose with a sarcastic remark. He slammed the PC against the boot of his own car, patting him down roughly. Keys, truncheon, and various other bits were tossed to the ground, and then Owen used the regulation handcuffs to secure his hands behind his back.

"Do you have to be so hard on him?" Gwen fretted.

"Hell yeah, sweetheart," Owen said, sounding almost happy. "These bastards are responsible for more deaths than we even know about. They leave the butchered corpses in their own homes like bloody trophies. They fucking _eat_ human beings. Personally, I don't think I'm being hard enough!"

"How many times do I have to say it? It's Gwen. Not sweetheart. I'd think you'd get it by now."

Owen flashed a quick grin toward the ex-PC. "If you say so, darling." He turned back to their prisoner, the grin growing as he 'accidentally' rapped the man's head against the open car door, eliciting an exclamation of pain from the prisoner.

Jack watched his people, a barely concealed smirk on his face at Owen's treatment of the cannibal. Gwen needed to learn who really deserved her compassion…and it certainly wasn't that constable. He almost wished that he'd been the one doing the manhandling, but he hadn't wanted to get close enough, concerned that the man might make some sort of move against him, with his wound an obvious weakness.

He slid the gun back into his pocket. "Everyone, into the SUV," he ordered. "We're driving up to that so-called Big House. We're going after Ianto and Tosh."

 

* * *

 

Jack almost drove over Toshiko in the dark.

The Japanese woman was practically running down the road from the house, a rather large shotgun in her hands. Jack slammed on the brakes, the SUV coming to a crunching halt, gravel showering everywhere.

Toshiko raised the gun, the headlamps obviously blinding her to whoever had almost hit her. Jack practically jumped out of the driver's seat, calling her name as he ran forward.

A smile of relief crossed her tired features. "Am I glad to see you all," she sighed.

Jack wrapped her up in a one-armed hug, carefully avoiding his gunshot wound. "You okay?"

Owen and Gwen had gotten out of the SUV as well, leaving the shell-shocked Kieran inside. Owen tried to check her, but Toshiko shrugged him off. "I'm fine," she answered. "But I left Ianto up at that house. He was going to be right behind me, so he should be along – "

She was interrupted by an unearthly roar that echoed through the trees. Jack shivered; it was pain-filled and angry, and he recognized it instantly.

"Ianto!" Tosh cried. "I left him up there!"

"Let's go!" Jack got them all back into the SUV, climbing back into the drivers' sear and slamming the vehicle into gear with more force than was necessary. His heart was hammering in his chest, his imagination playing with the tone of that cry and fear bundled up in his throat like someone had stuffed a cloth into his windpipe. He could barely breathe, but he knew he had to get himself under control if he was going to be of any use to the dragon.

The large manor house appeared from behind the trees. Lights shown in the lower levels of the place, and several cars were pulled up outside the front door. It looked like quite a party, and Jack would have been expecting such if he didn't already know what was going on.

The Harvest.

_Every ten years_ , the voice of the constable whispered in Jack's mind. They'd been doing the same thing every ten years. How they'd gotten away with it for so long, Jack didn't know. Surely there had to have been some sort of records? Why hadn't they managed to find anything in their research of the disappearances? Certainly something should have come up!

He was startled by a sudden flash from one of the lower windows…followed by a gout of flame that shattered the glass.

Jack halted the SUV, the tires spinning on the gravel. The vehicle fish-tailed slightly as it came to a halt, and Jack tumbled out, followed by his team, and together they stood and watched as fire licked through the broken window, charring the stones of the outside façade.

It had to have been Ianto's flame. That was the only explanation that Jack could come up with. He was very familiar with the dragon's abilities, and just the greater-than-average heat of the flames was enough to convince him that, somehow, Ianto had gotten inside and had been forced to let loose his inner flame.

Another roar sounded from over the rush of fire. It was all Jack could do to stand there and wait. He knew that Ianto was impervious to any other sort of fire, but his own? Then he shook himself; of course the dragon was! After all, how could he be alive with that flame within him? How would he survive breathing it out? No, he had to trust that Ianto was immune.

That still didn't mean that Jack was any less afraid.

A sudden outrush of people from the front door jerked the team into action. They instantly covered the fleeing cannibals, Toshiko fetching some of the extra flex cuffs from the supplies within the SUV. It was like figuratively shooting fish in a barrel: Jack, Owen, and Gwen covered the escapees, while Toshiko secured them with the cuffs. And, if anything she was rougher than Owen had been, kicking them to the ground and tightening the cuffs more than strictly necessary.

Gwen tried to complain at the treatment, but Toshiko shot her an angry look. "No, they were going to kill and eat me, and they must have somehow gotten ahold of my best friend. There's no way I'm going to be easy on them, Gwen. Worry about your team, and not for a bunch of sick cannibals."

"There has to be a reason why," Gwen argued. "What would turn them that way?"

"I don't care," Toshiko shot back. "All I care about is making sure it doesn't happen again."

Jack wanted to hug her for that.

They ended up capturing six villagers. Jack wondered how many more had died within the conflagration.

The outside stone of the house was keeping it from completely burning to the ground, but whatever wood there had been in the structure was being quickly consumed. Toshiko had managed to get through to the nearest law enforcement, but it would be at least an hour before anyone could get out there.

The team watched the house as flames rose to all the floors, blowing out windows with the intense heat.

"You're hurt!"

Jack glanced down at Toshiko; she had a little soot on her face, and it made her look even fiercer than he'd ever seen her. "Got shot by the kid we saved," he answered. "I'll be healed up by tomorrow."

Jack followed Toshiko's eyes as they sought out Kieran; the young man was standing just next to the parked SUV, his own gaze on the cannibals that were kneeling on the ground just away from the fire. "Are we sure he's not one of them?" she asked.

"As scared as he was?" Jack snorted. "No one is that good an actor."

Toshiko nodded, turning back to the fire. "Will Ianto be all right?" she whispered.

He put his arm around her shoulders. "You know Ianto," he said. "He's tough. He'll be fine."

The smaller woman leaned into Jack's warmth. "Yeah, you're right. It's just…the waiting, you know?"

Jack did know. He was growing more and more concerned that the dragon wasn't emerging from the quickly gutted house. He remembered that pain-filled roar, and wondered if he'd somehow been hurt more than just the injury to his wing. Another lump formed in his throat, and he realized that, if he lost the dragon, just how lonely his life would be.

He was finally figuring out just how important Ianto was to him. Jack was terrified by it, but he couldn't deny it any longer. He really wanted to work toward more than just reconciliation with the dragon, and that meant getting him to trust Jack once more. Well, Jack had time before the Doctor arrived. He'd do his best to work on getting Ianto into his life in a more…permanent way.

And maybe…just maybe, he wouldn't go with the Doctor after all.

Jack took a shuddering breath at that thought. He'd always known that Ianto could tempt him away from his answers, and that had just happened.

The Doctor would come back, but Jack would stay for Ianto.

And it only took a burning building full of cannibals to make him come to that conclusion.

There was a loud crack from within the house, and a huge section of outer wall gave away. He cringed at the sound; as did Toshiko, held tightly against his good side. The heat was drying Jack's skin out, and he knew if any of them got any closer it would quickly cause dehydration. As if on cue, Owen appeared, holding two water bottles; Jack cracked his open, taking a huge swallow before recapping it and putting it in his pocket.

A rumble sounded from one side of the house, and as Jack watched an entire section of stone moved as if on his own. He held his breath as he watched…"There he is!"

Emerging from the rubble, his emerald scales glittering redly in the light of the flames, was the dragon.

Jack let out a loud whoop, grabbing Toshiko and spinning her about, unmindful of his buckshot wound. Owen was grinning, and hugging Gwen…who, despite all of her animosity toward Ianto, seemed genuinely glad that the dragon was all right. Jack watched as the medic planted a very passionate kiss on the ex-PC's lips, and tried to stifle the disappointment in her as she returned it just as enthusiastically. Perhaps she'd soon get Owen out of her system, and go back to enjoying her life with her boyfriend.

The dragon shook himself as he pulled himself free from the building. His blue eyes caught sight of the team, and Jack saw the gladness in them. Then he looked at Jack, and his gaze softened into something that wasn't hard to identify.

Jack nodded, acknowledging what he'd seen with a look of his own.

Ianto smiled, revealing his rather impressive teeth.

The dragon made his way over to the team carefully. His injured wing was held tightly against his body, and Jack could see that the stitches hadn't survived the heat of the flames. "Good evening, Captain," his deep voice rumbled, sounding playful. "I do hope you all brought marshmallows; after all, I provided the bonfire."

Jack laughed. He released Toshiko, then threw his arms around the dragon's neck, the scales warmer than usual because of the fire, and laughed.

 

* * *

 

_**31 October 2007** _

 

 

It was well after midnight before the Torchwood team was able to leave Brynblaidd.

The fire had nearly completely destroyed the house by the time the police and fire services arrived. Only stones remained of the once-large house, and they were collapsing into a sad pile of ruins.

Ianto was only too glad to see it gone. He wanted the horrors within to be completely destroyed.

He'd pulled himself from the flames, and the first thing he'd seen was his team celebrating. His heart had swelled at seeing them all alive and well; he'd been worried for them, even knowing that they could all take care of themselves. Well, there was Gwen, but the dragon had been certain that Jack would look after her as well.

Although, judging from Owen's enthusiastic 'snogging' of the woman – and her just as enthusiastic snogging back – Ianto thought he might have to revise that to Owen looking after her.

And then, he'd looked at Jack. The dragon couldn't help it; his feelings at seeing Jack there, hugging Toshiko, and he just knew his emotions were showing.

Jack nodded, and Ianto saw the same emotions in the immortal's eyes.

It was something he'd never thought he would see, and he swore they'd talk as soon as they had some alone time.

But that didn't happen, not yet anyway.

Owen had taken one look at his injured wing and cursed a blue streak. The dragon had laid there as he restitched it; at least there wasn't any more tearing, but it hurt like nothing else he'd ever felt. Owen had forbidden him from changing back to human for at least a week, which the dragon had pointed out was impossible to do: there was no way he was walking back to Cardiff, and he certainly couldn't fly back. Plus there were certain bodily things he'd need to do as a human. Owen hadn't liked it, but he'd agreed to it, until they'd dropped Ianto back off at his home.

Then there was Jack...and the obvious wound in his right side. The dragon had worried about it, but Jack had brushed it off as he'd rested his head in Jack's lap while Owen was working on his wing. The captain's presence, and the gentle stroking along his snout, almost lulled the dragon into sleep. Almost…until he got a glimpse of the blood on Jack's greatcoat.

Well, he'd let the threats slide…for now.

He'd changed back by the time rescue services had gotten there, although Ianto admitted that it felt a bit uncomfortable. Their captive cannibals had all been arrested – no one was about to believe a bunch of human-eating crazies that the house had been burned down by a dragon – and that only left the boy, Kieran.

The former captive gladly accepted Retcon. Ianto didn't blame him.

The trip back to Cardiff was done mostly in silence. Jack drove, and for once kept his speed to nearly the limit. Ianto dozed most of the way, letting the painkillers Owen had given him pull him under, and it was only when the SUV parked itself outside his house that Ianto came fully back to himself.

"Okay, Dragon Boy," Owen said from the backseat, as Ianto slowly climbed from the passenger side. "You're under doctor's orders to change back to dragon as soon as you can. You're also on medical leave, and I'll come back by tomorrow to evaluate you and let you know just how long you're off."

Ianto rolled his eyes. "Yes, Doctor," he snarked. "I'm not a child, Owen."

"Says you," Owen snarked back. "I'll also bring over more pain meds. You only change to human when you absolutely have to. Got it?"

He snapped off a sarcastic salute, then turned and walked toward his home. Truth be told, all Ianto wanted to do was curl up on his pillows and sleep, but he wasn't about to admit that to anyone.

The first thing on his list: to wash the scum and ash off his scales. To do that, he needed the garden hose and the relative privacy of his rear yard.

Ianto went back inside first, not wanting to surprise his house guest, Estelle, by arriving home so late. Surprisingly, she was gone; a note on the kitchen table said that she'd gone home, not wanting to intrude any longer. Ianto couldn't find it in himself to be disappointed; he really just wanted solitude, in order to relax and get a good nights' sleep. He'd have to call her though, and at least put up a token resistance to her leaving.

He stripped off his smelly clothing, binning them. He never wanted to see them again. Then, grabbing a towel, he headed out to the back garden in order to get his first bath before sleeping.

He changed back to dragon form once he was behind the overly tall fence that blocked his neighbors' scrutiny, not able to ignore the pain from the injured wing. It was a bit difficult to maneuver the hose with his claws, but he managed to completely soak himself down except for the stitches. He found himself wishing that Jack was there to help scrub his scales, but dismissed it. He'd want to make sure everyone else got home as well, and the dragon wasn't about to take Jack away from the team. They needed him as much as the dragon did.

After he was done, he changed back in order to get into the house, the towel wrapped around him to keep the water from dripping on his carpet. Ianto left the alarm turned off, knowing that Owen would be around and that he'd most likely use the key that was on file at the Hub to get in. Ianto also took the time to shower his human form as well; he'd once tried to explain to Toshiko how different each of his 'skins' felt, and that they both needed to be cleansed, but he wasn't certain if she'd understood. The pulse of the water beating down on his sore back seemed to relieve some of the pain.

A quick meal of tea and toast later, and the dragon was back and laying on his pillows and cushions in his bedroom, his head curled up under the crook of his damaged wing. He didn't even remember falling asleep.

The next thing he knew, the sun was shining through the skylight overlooking his bed, and there was an obvious human presence leaning against his flank. Judging from the warmth it was radiating, the dragon knew it was Jack; all other humans were cooler, whereas the immortal seemed to share a body heat that was closer to a dragon in human form.

The dragon shifted slightly, pulling his head out from under his wing so he could look at Jack. He received a look in return, and then a genuine smile that lit up Jack's eyes. "Welcome back," he greeted, stretching but keeping himself close to the dragon's side. "You've been asleep almost twelve hours."

He was surprised. "I must have been more tired than I thought. Have you been here all that time?"

Jack shook his head. "I came over with Owen the first time. Then we got an alert out in Penarth…a simple retrieval. I came back after that, though. I…didn't want you to wake up alone."

The dragon felt warmth deeper than his flame at Jack's words. He couldn't believe that, just a short while ago, they'd been arguing, and that he'd thought that he hadn't trusted Jack at all. Now, he was beginning to realize that he had, in fact, always trusted Jack, but that he'd simply convinced himself that he hadn't because of everything that had happened between them. His faith in Jack had been shaken, but not destroyed.

He loved Jack. And, he was thinking that Jack might possibly feel the same about him.

"Thank you," the dragon rumbled, letting his emotions once again show in his eyes.

Jack rubbed a hand against the dragon's shoulder, smoothing the scales in the way that he enjoyed. "You're welcome." The smile faded a little. "How's your wing?"

"How's your side?"

"I asked you first."

The dragon snorted a laugh. "Yes, you did." He experimentally flexed his damaged wing. Pain flared along the vane, making him hiss.

"That bad, huh?"

"I've never had an injured wing before. I didn't think it would hurt this badly."

"Well, Owen used the deep tissue scanner on it, and he said that it's going to take a while to heal. You're grounded for a month, and off duty for two weeks. No changing form unless absolutely necessary."

The dragon grimaced, but he knew better than to argue. "Will you all be able to handle me being away that long?"

"We'll work it out. Don't worry, okay?

"Easier said than done. Just please, don't let Owen near the Archives or the coffee machine."

Jack laughed. "He's already complaining about having to go to Starbucks for coffee."

"That's like drinking hot dishwater!" the dragon exclaimed fastidiously.

That caused the immortal to laugh even harder. "We're just spoiled, what can I say?"

"You'll say you'll go the extra distance and visit the Costa's instead?"

"I think that can be arranged."

"Thank you. Now…about my question. How is your side?"

"You can't even tell I was shot," Jack answered, untucking and raising both his shirt to show the dragon his unblemished skin.

He'd never even considered any human attractive until he'd met Jack Harkness. The dragon was constantly surprised by his feelings for the captain, and those feelings had only grown over the years he'd known the man. But really, seeing so much of Jack's skin on display was a bit distracting. He remembered touching him, those few times when he and Jack had slept together, and knew he'd never get enough.

Jack had taught him so much about how humans loved and touched. It was different from what dragon-kind did, and there were times when Ianto wished he could show Jack the ways of his people. He recalled the dream he had on and off, throughout his life, of him in the mating flight with the blue-gray dragon he'd once thought was his mate; since there were no more dragons left, that dream had died. That didn't stop him from thinking about a mating flight with Jack somehow, but that was impossible.

He was disappointed when Jack tucked his shirts back in.

"I was worried."

The dragon was shaken from his thoughts about Jack's skin. "About me?"

"Well, duh," Jack answered, slapping him lightly on the shoulder. "You were in a burning building, you know."

"I was never in any danger," the dragon answered. Then he reconsidered. "No, that wasn't true. I may have been in danger, when they captured me."

"What happened? I know what Toshiko says, but she doesn't know much past your overpowering the cannibal woman."

And so, the dragon explained. He told Jack of being struck down outside the house, and being dragged back inside. He left out the part about not being able to transform; he was certain that had to do with his injury and nothing else, although it had never happened before. "I had to wait for the building's structure to weaken before I could push my way through," he finished. "But I did, as soon as I possibly could. Being in that place wasn't pleasant." He also didn't go into the screaming, or the smell of burning flesh, or the agony in his wing as the fire had destroyed the stitches.

He didn't think he needed to.

"Let's make a deal," Jack said. "I'll try not to bloody up the coat, and you try not to go the self-immolation route again, okay?"

"It's a deal."

The immortal curled back up into the dragon's side, and it was all he could do not to drape his wing over the reclining man., knowing to move it would hurt. Instead, he moved just enough that his body was curved around Jack's, his head resting on his extended front legs.

They were silent like that for a long time. The sunlight coming in through the window made the dragon drowsy, and his eyelids drooped to half-mast as sleep overcame him once more.

He felt Jack move, and fingers traced themselves along his snout. He snuffled in enjoyment. "I spoke truly," he murmured, "when I said dragons don't kiss." He cracked one eye open to look at Jack, and couldn't miss the contentment there. "You're actually the first human I'd ever kissed."

A soft smile lit Jack's face. "I do hope you enjoyed it."

"Yes, I did. Remind me to demonstrate how dragons share affection sometime."

"Oh, believe me, I will."

The dragon sighed, letting his eyes shut. He hadn't felt this happy in a long time.

A very tiny voice in the back of his head told him that it couldn't possibly last.

He chose to ignore it.


End file.
